I don’t know about you, but I take my coffee pretty seriously. Since I drink it black, I prefer rich, assertive flavors without any trace of bitterness. Oh, and I like it almost waiting for me
as soon as I drag myself out of bed. And that’s where the Keurig brewer has served me so well. I’m such an avid fan that not only have I purchased Keurig for friends, but there’s also a unit sitting in my guest room in case my overnight company
needs a bit of hot chocolate, tea or cider before going to bed. Or, if they like to get up at crack o’ tweet, they won’t have to wake the dogs – a noisy, unpleasant affair – to get their first cup of the day.

I have an issue with Keurig that has nothing to do with the brewer itself but, rather, those expensive K-Cups. I’m always looking for a deal, without compromising flavor. And I’ve set the bar pretty high because my gold standard these days is Starbuck’s French Roast Dark, which is just about the perfect cup of joe for me. But, it’s pricey.

Not long ago, I reviewed the affordable San Francisco French Roast K-Cups I found at Costco. And, now, Costco recently started stocking Kirkland Signature Pacific Bold dark roast coffee, extra bold K-Cups. So, I gave them a try. My review follows.

First look: Made with 100-percent premium Arabica beans, Pacific Bold is dark roasted for the perfect balance of smoky and sweet, according to Costco. The K-Cups come in a case of 100.

Good news: The price is certainly attractive at 38-cents per cup. Pacific Bold offers up smooth coffee flavor without bitterness. For me, an 8-ounce cup gives the best coffee punch and accentuates the bold aspect of this coffee. A 10-ounce mug doesn’t wimp out and works well as my second cup, when the fog has cleared a bit. You’ll get minimal sediment on the bottom of your cup. I find that, unlike filtered coffee, most K-Cups will leave a little residue.

Bad news: I’m afraid that if you want to fill a travel mug over 10 ounces, you’ll be disappointed if you’re expecting a bracing cup of java. Pacific Bold gets downright timid beyond the 10-ounce mark. Of course, that’s not a problem if you prefer your coffee with less oomph.

Last words: Good enough for most days, but I’m still snatching up boxes of Starbuck’s French Roast Dark when I find it on sale.

So, now that Kirkland Signature Pacific Bold K-Cups have been out for a short while, has anybody reading tried them? If so, what do you think? Would you purchase them again? Let me know!

Thanks for reviewing coscto brands. I never would have tried their label. Enjoy all your episodes. I frequent Trader Joes also and it was nice having some guidance there. Ever thought about reviewing some bottles from the Bev Mo nickel sales?

Thank you for reading, Paulo. I’ve tried the BevMo 5-cent deal, which for those unfamiliar, a select selection of wines are offered at the regular price and a second bottle for a nickel. So, it allows you to try wines you might not usually buy, and stock up on those you do.

I love dark roast and, so far, Starbucks French Roast is my favorite, closely followed by Tully French Roast. They both have deep, rich flavors I appreciate since I drink my coffee black, too. I also keep Varona around but the other day I had three cups in a row: Starbucks French roast, then Pacific Bold followed by the Varona, and I clearly noticed that the Caffe Varona wasn’t nearly as smooth as the Pacific Bold. But, Varona is a bit stronger. I’d give the Kirkland Bold a try because the price point is pretty right on. And I’m not affiliated with Costco in any way. :)

I am just afraid to end up with 100 k-cups I don’t like! does it have any of the metalic aftertaste that some of the k-cups can have like some of the Green Mountain coffees? ? So far my favorite has been Starbucks christmas blend…too bad it’s only at christmas! I also love the Starbucks French roast. So far just for price we have been buying the Costco Verona, I did not care for the SFFrench roast it tasted stale to me, bottom line I like a very strong yet Smooth coffee. What do you think? should I take the plunge and buy the Kirkland?

I haven’t noticed a metallic aftertaste at all. I say take the plunge. French roast is my favorite but I can handle the Kirkland. Also, when I find the French roast at a really great deal, I go ahead and buy it. I end up using several flavors. Remember, it’s not as bold as a French roast, but not wimpy either. And I like it better than the Starbucks Verona. Let me know what you think. Go for it. It’s just coffee.

We found it in December, maybe November and bought it. Both my husband and I love it. It is bold and rich which I love and it is affordable and good which my husband loves. Only problem? Couldn’t get it this week at our local Costco and $20:00 to ship a box to our home, there goes the good price.

Is there another Costco near you? I notice that some stores seem to stock slightly different items at times, so maybe it’s at another store. I’d be tempted to ask if they could stock it again. It would be nice if Costco would ship to stores for free. Some places do that and it’s pretty convenient.

I, too, have been reluctant to buy the Costco 100 pack for fear I’d be stuck with it. Based on this review, I’ll give it a shot (no pun intended).

For me, Starbuck’s French Roast k-cups are too strong with a bite even though I add a “touch” of Intl Delight. My favorite k-cup, available at Starbucks in Seattle, is the Hawaiin Blend. It’s plenty strong and rich with no bitterness to my taste.

Just fyi: I came across some refillable k-cups at Grocery Outlet recently (3 pack or $8.99). Much easier to refill and clean than the $20 big, gray one sold at stores that you have to dismant and clean three parts. I make six at a time and keep in a air-tight container.

We recently got a kcup brewer at my work and we have a bring your on cup type of policy. I decided to gamble on a box of these, worst case scenario I would just share with my coworkers. I love dark bold blends. I normally drink espresso straight when ordering out or drink sumatra if they are brewing it at starbucks.

These cups did not disappoint. I’ve had some kcups in the past that were almost undrinkable, these are definitely not one of them. Tasted very fresh, I would say a strong medium. Not overbearing, very smooth pleasent taste. Definitely something I could drink day to day and share with my coworkers, as they tend to like a more milder taste than my espresso cups.

Glad you like them. I feel the same way. The more I drink them, the better I like them. They’re my go-to cup, but when I want a treat, then I find Starbucks French Roast cups and splurge. Otherwise, these are good everyday cups. Thanks for sharing. Much appreciated.

I too recently got a Keurig machine. I tried several coffee brands and blends which left me wanting. It was hard to find a rich full flavor coffee until Kirkland’s Pacific Bold. Coffee house coffee at home and one cup at a time its perfect for me. Thanks Costco.

I think John is talking about the Kirkland Breakfast Blend that is available in Canada. It is a light roast coffee instead of the dark roast. I recently picked up a box of dark roast when I was down at the boarder and love it. Prefer this more than the breakfast blend that is available up here in Canada.

I love the Costco Pacific Bold..not disappointed at all!!! I like a strong full bodied cup of coffee as well and I’m so glad I found this! Actually drinking a cup right now:)
Another good one I found at Costco is the San Francisco French roast. At 38 cents a cup, my husband and I can feel not so guilty about our Keurig purchase;)
Use this as ‘utility coffee’ and when you have guests you can pop out the name brand…even though they wouldn’t be disappointed with this! Go ahead and try!! Trust me, you will be surprised at how good it is!

I just had my first two cups of Pacific Bold and I’m impressed. It is very close to the flavors I like best: Stronger than Emeril’s Big Easy Bold, more mellow than Starbuck’s French (or any good French), I know this is subjective but after trying all the big names and finding them undrinkable at 10 ounces for the price I expected Pacific Bold to be a disappointment and got a nice surprise.

Thanks for sharing your experience. I’m having a cup of Pacific Bold as I type. The more I try other coffees, the more often I seem to circle back to Kirkland’s Pacific Bold. I agree that it’s mellow, but not a wimpy cup of joe.

I will give these a try. Those that are worried that they will be stuck with 99 K cups if they don’t like it? Remember Costco has an amazing return policy and they will gladly refund your money if you bring back a near full box…. I guarantee it.

As I sit enjoying my last cup of the day, 8oz of Kirkland Pacific Bold, I decided to chime in with my own 2 cents worth.
So far, my all time favorite K-cup is Tully’s Italian Roast, but our local Costco recenty had Tully’s French Roast boxes for a great price & I am now switching between that, the PB & Kirkland Guatemalan that I grind & use in our Keurig D60.

Thank you for sharing. My favorite is Tully’s French Roast, which I buy when I find it on sale. I’m still enjoying Pacific Bold on a regular basis. But, with the cooler weather, I find that I’m drinking a little more coffee, so I like to play with some of the other flavors. Right now my current K-Cup coffee crush is Donout Shop coconut mocha. I know, flavored coffee isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I like them once in a while. And I do love my Keurig. Sounds as if you’re pretty fond of yours, too.

Hi, found this link searching to find what actually IS the coffee in Pacific Bold, which I <3 by the way. Costco's Kirkland will self label name brands, and I was wondering if anyone knows if perhaps this is made by Starbucks or some other label. Just curious.

We live in the DFW area of texas, and just a half mile from a Costo store. We were able to get a Keruig coffee maker a couple of years ago, and absolutely love it. When Costco started the 100 pod packs of Pacific Bold, I figured, OK, how bad could it be? Well, I’m totally sold, on pacific bold. I drink my coffee black with one scoop of demarara sugar. I love the rich smooth flavor. It’not as smooth as Tully’s Hawaiian Blend, but still one of my favorites. The price is off-putting for most of the small boxes of coffee, and Bed Bath and Beyond is among the highest in price, here in Texas. Costco has my vote, but I wish they had more keruig selections.

I use the Pacific Bold and fill my Tervis 16 oz mug by selecting a big and small on the same K cup. Essentially all the coffee I need in the morning and plenty stout but not bitter? I have been drinking coffe for 65 years and will not drink bad coffee.

Thanks for your review! I love the kirkland pacific bold. It has ruined me for a Tim hortons coffee (which was a min 2x a day must) I’m canadian & Unfortunately the pacific bold is not available in canada, at least not the west coast. I drive to washington state to buy the 100 k kup boxes. Great coffee.

I really appreciate your review and the comments, as well – especially SuferDoc’s comparison with Emeril’s Big Easy Bold. That’s my daily cup and I’ve been repeatedly disappointed by other “bold” coffees that are hardly that. I had looked at Pacific Bold and figured it was another faux bold cup. I’ll try it now.

I just bought a box of Pacific Bold at Costco yesterday and I like it a lot. I have this coffee maker, BUNN MCU Single Cup Multi-Use Home Coffee Brewer, and I feel it is much better than the Keurig models. It gets the coffee hotter and it offers a pulse method of brewing where the water goes into the K cup in spurts to allow longer contact with the coffee. It also has 3 other attachments to allow using your own ground coffee, coffee pods and one that allows just hot water to mix with oatmeal, tea, hot chocolate or whatever. I love it.

I love the taste of the Kirkland Bold, it has a great bold flavor. We have bought several cases from Costco in last several months. This last box I have had about 8 cups so far that the Kuerig didn’t read the bar code and I couldn’t use the cup???? I have not had this problem before, not sure what is different with his box unless they just are some that are defective but I hate to have to throw out the unused cup! Help?!?! Any suggestions??

The best cup of coffee that I have ever had! I have had coffee from all over the world and Pacific Bold by Kirkland is the best yet. Starbucks is so overrated that it is pathetic. The price doesn’t meet the flavor by a long shot!